Author: Vaibhav Tripathi

A Vaibhav Sooryavanshi special and a four-wicket haul from Kishan Kumar Singh propelled India U-19 to an eight-wicket win in the second Youth ODI against South Africa U-19 in Benoni. With this victory, India U-19 took an unassailable lead in the three-match series. For the second time in the series, South Africa captain Muhammed Bulbulia won the toss and this time opted to bat first. Playing his first game after missing the opening match, Kishan Kumar Singh showed his class with the ball. The left-arm pacer made the new ball talk, moving it both ways to dismantle the hosts’ top…

The second-string India U19 side handed South Africa U19 a 25-run defeat in the rain-curtailed opening clash of the three-match Youth ODI series in Benoni on Sunday, January 4. For the first time in over a year, India U19 took the field without Ayush Mhatre or Vihaan Malhotra, facing a full-strength South Africa side in their own backyard. The hosts put India under extreme pressure early on by removing skipper Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and makeshift opener Aaron George. Vedant Trivedi and Abhigyan Kundu both got starts but failed to convert them. They lost their wickets in quick succession, leaving India U19…

“Why all the fuss about coaches? It is captains and players who win or lose matches.” This was the point Ian Chappell made in 2022. The late, great Shane Warne once described a coach as little more than a vehicle to get you to the ground. Over the years, there have been occasions when players openly questioned the absence of a coach, and naturally, everyone is entitled to his/her opinion. One could argue that experienced players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma at this stage of their careers may not strictly need a coach. Both have spent years at…

Spin-bowling all-rounder Mohamed Enaan and seam-bowling all-rounder R.S. Ambrish have been recalled as the BCCI announced a 15-member squad for the Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15 to February 6. Two changes have been made to the squad that played in the Asia Cup. Leg-spinner Naman Pushpak and wicketkeeper-batter Yuvraj Gohil, both of whom did not play a single game in the Asia Cup, have made way for Enaan and Ambrish. Vice-captain Vihaan Malhotra, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Aaron George, Vedant Trivedi and first-choice wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu form a strong batting core.…

A day after the World Cup squad announcement grabbed the headlines with discussions around Shubman Gill’s exclusion, Jitesh Sharma being overlooked and Ishan Kishan’s return, attention moved to the U-19 Asia Cup final. The tournament had largely remained out of focus for both spectators and the media, as it coincided with other bilateral series such as India versus South Africa and the Ashes. However, the final drew widespread attention as arch-rivals India and Pakistan faced each other once again, with the added significance of the trophy at stake. From the moment the match began at Dubai’s ICC Academy, the final…

Right from the moment he walked out for the squad selection meeting at the BCCI headquarters, Suryakumar Yadav looked in a jovial mood. Even at the press conference, when tough questions were fired at him regarding selection and his form, Suryakumar answered them all with a gentle smile on his face. His body language was upbeat. Typical Surya. He did not look like a player under immense pressure given his current run of form with the bat. When asked a couple of times about his dip in performances during the press conference, Suryakumar asserted that he has been batting beautifully…

India cruised to a seven-wicket victory over South Africa on the back of a superb bowling display to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match T20I series. The bowlers restricted the visitors to 117 on a chilly evening in Dharamshala. The modest target was overhauled inside 16 overs. Abhishek Sharma top-scored for India with a fluent 35 off 18 balls, while Shubman Gill laboured to a run-a-ball 28. India won the toss, which proved crucial, as there was already dew on the ground before the first ball, and batting was expected to get easier as match went on. The first…

The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack witnessed Hardik Pandya’s all-round brilliance as India outclassed South Africa by 101 runs in the first T20I. Pandya’s 28-ball 59 helped India reach a total of 175. Later, with the ball, he claimed one wicket as South Africa were bundled out for 74. In the first half, it was Pandya against the South African bowlers. On a surface where most batters struggled to understand the pace of the wicket, Pandya struck the ball cleanly from the very start. Even though it was his first international game since the Asia Cup, there were no signs of…

Virat Kohli dropped his bat, looked up, and let out a roar of relief and joy. At MS Dhoni’s home ground, the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi, the century was a statement in itself. After scoring only 74 in three innings on the Australia tour, and with whispers about his ODI future swirling around him, the emotions were raw. His 52nd ODI hundred, a fluent 135 on a sluggish pitch, propelled India to 349. The total was just enough, as India defended it by 17 runs to take an early lead in the series against South Africa. Matthew Breetzke, Marco…

Ayush Mhatre will lead the 15-member India U19 squad for the upcoming ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup, which will be played in Dubai from 12–21 December. The BCCI announced the squad on Friday, November 28. Suryavanshi and Mhatre are two of the most prominent names in the squad. Both young batters lit up last season’s IPL, and they have been retained by the Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2026. Top-order batter Vihaan Malhotra has been named as Mhatre’s deputy. Left-arm pacer Kishan Kumar Singh has been included in the squad, but his participation remains…